Agartala, August 5, 2025: A tragic road accident in the Tripura’s Chakmaghat area under Teliamura police station of Khowai District has sparked outrage after a cement lorry driver trapped in his vehicle for nearly eight hours died allegedly due to the inaction of the local administration and the Disaster Management department.

The accident took place around 2:30 am on the national highway-08, when a truck transporting cement from Dharmanagar to Agartala crashed. The front of the vehicle was severely crushed pinning the driver identified as Mihir Lal Debnath from Kanchanpur inside the cabin. Eyewitnesses reported that Mihir, who was also the owner of the vehicle, kept pleading for help throughout the night crying out for rescue as he lay trapped.

Despite repeated calls for assistance, it reportedly took nearly seven hours for the sub-divisional administration and disaster response teams to arrive with proper equipment. Locals claim that although a few Disaster Management staff reached the spot earlier, their iron-cutting tools were non-functional.

“There’s no justification for this level of apathy. The man could have been saved if the administration had responded on time. He kept calling for help in front of everyone. We just stood helpless,” said a local resident at the scene.

The body of Mihir Lal Debnath was eventually extricated around 9:40 am and taken to Teliamura Sub-Divisional Hospital, where he was declared dead.

While the Fire Service and Disaster Management teams faced scathing criticism, some appreciation was directed toward the TSR 12th Battalion, who, within their limited means extended timely support at the scene.